Competitions

Rémy Cointreau-owned Greek spirit Metaxa has named Thomas Hay-Owens from The Venner Bar at The Bull Hotel 2019’s Metaxa Twelve competition winner. This year’s contest invited bartenders across the UK to create a new serve incorporating Metaxa 12 Stars, which were judged on four main qualities: Look, Sense, Listen and Explore. Nearly one hundred entries …

Selia Bugallo of Kwãnt, London has been crowned the Best Italicus Bar Artist of the Year with her aperitivo-style cocktail, The Three of Us. At the final at Barcelona’s Paradiso bar, which recently placed at number 20 in the World’s 50 Best Bars, 12 bartenders battled it out in front of a live panel of …

Daniel Laycock and Luke Cole have been named the winners of the 2019 Monin BarBarista Challenge. In association with UK Coffee Week, the competition paired professional bartenders with baristas, giving them the opportunity to showcase their creative coffee cocktail flair. At the grand finale, regional heat winners had to create drinks that perfectly balanced coffee …

Lewis McKenzie from Axis Bar in the Hilton Amsterdam Schiphol Airport has been crowned winner of the sixth annual Opihr Global Cocktail Competition. At the grand final, which took place in Venice, Italy, Lewis competed against five other top bartenders from around the world, including the UK & Ireland, USA, Germany, APAC and South Africa. …

Emporia Brands and Chairman’s Reserve rum have named Milk in Reading the winning bar of 2019’s Mai Tai competition. The team of Connie Cain and Andy Turner of Milk in Reading topped the voting board at London Cocktail Club’s Old Street venue on 25 September, once again coming out first after winning the 2017 final. …

Bannie Kang of Antidote bar in Singapore has been crowned the winner of Diageo Reserve’s World Class Global Bartender of the Year cocktail competition. Entrants from across six continents took part in this year’s contest, with 53 bartenders making it through the national heats. The competitors travelled to Schiedam and the Isle of Sky where …

Sam Boevey of The London Cocktail Club has been crowned the winner of 2019’s 1800 Visionaries Cocktail Competition. Now in its third year, the 1800 Visionaries Cocktail Competition is a celebration of creativity. 2019’s entrants were tasked with creating a cocktail inspired by an iconic artist from the worlds of art, style, design or music. …

Premium mixer brand Double Dutch has launched its first ever cocktail competition, offering bartenders the chance to win a trip to Amsterdam. The ‘around the world’ themed competition challenges entrants to create a “taste sensation for their favourite country” using Double Dutch’s range of tonics and mixers. Individual competitors will be judged on their product …

Funkin Cocktails has announced that it is extending the deadline for the Funkin Innovation Champion 2019 competition. Bartenders now have until 16 August to get their entries in to stand the chance of winning £1,000 cash, a one year, part-time contract with the fruit purée and cocktail mixer brand, and an all-expenses paid, immersive trip …